In a continuing effort to improve the quality of fresh market and shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine and peach seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "June Pearl". The present variety was developed by us in 1989 by growing an open pollinated seed from an unnamed nectarine seedling in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). In particular, this unnamed parental nectarine seedling resulted from crossing Bradcrim (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,461) white flesh nectarine as the seed parent and Diamond Jewel (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,050) yellow flesh nectarine as the pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The fruit produced by the present variety is most similar to its seed grandparent, the Bradcrim (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,461), by producing white flesh nectarines that are non-acidic in flavor and virtually free from red texture bleeding, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that ripens approximately fifteen days earlier, that is firmer in texture, that is fuller red in skin color, and that is clingstone in type, instead of freestone.
The present variety is similar to its pollen grandparent, Diamond Jewel (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,050), by producing large sized, firm, clingstone nectarines that ripen in late June and are nearly full red in skin color, but is very distinguished therefrom by having a large blossom and by producing fruit that is white flesh instead of yellow flesh, and that is non-acidic in flavor instead of acidic.